The Reason
by freakochicko
Summary: The whole gang's getting ready for a huge party on Besaid Island! But things go terribly wrong and Rikku gets hurt in the process. Will this unleash a chain of unfinished events? Unforgotten affairs? GIPPALxRIKKU. Some TxY and BxP.
1. Welcome Home

**-(A/N)-: **_THE REASON! It's been stuck in my head for weeks and I have finally come around to write it. I even put my other fic, Evrae (FFVIII), on hold just to do this. FFX-2 has always been one of my favourite games. I'm sticking with the couple Rikku and Gippal. But generally, there will be TidusxYuna and PainexBaralai. Have fun reading!  
**  
**_**Disclaimer:** _Final Fantasy X-2 characters are owned by SquareEnix. Ah, and I don't own Hilary Duff's song Fly._

**-xxxxx-**

**The Reason  
**by freakochicko

**CHAPTER ONE: **_Welcome Home_

A beautiful girl wearing nothing but a _slightly_ revealing bikini top and a _short_ mini-skirt was looking very flustered at the moment. Her blonde hair glittered in the sunlight as she flipped her head this way and that, face scrunched up distastefully. Young Rikku had been running around frantically, looking everywhere for Yuna. _Where could that stupid cousin of mine be?_ she wondered in frustration, wanting to ask the former High Summoner about the invitations to the 'victory party' they were going to throw at Besaid Island.

Yes, Spira was finally rid of the bad stuff. Sin, that blue-haired freak of a Guado Seymour, the misconception of Yu Yevon, Yu Yevon itself, the dispute between the Youth League and New Yevon and the threat of Vegnagun; all thanks to Yuna and her most trusted of friends. They were now officially the heroes of Spira! And for this, the Friendly Neighbourhood Gullwings decided to celebrate with a big bang.

All in their honour of course.

_"Let's invite the whole of Spira!" _Rikku had suggested, bouncing up and down in excitement. Typical Rikku.

_"Let's not." _Paine had said rather darkly. She didn't feel much like meeting the whole world just yet. Especially not at a party where everyone would go all crazy and... whatever. Especially not that.

Yuna had did some quick thinking and she told them she'd do the invitations herself.

That was almost forty-eight hours ago. Meaning, tomorrow's the celebration! And Rikku, being her, was impatient to see who the hell she had decided to invite. If only she could find her...

_The Temple! _Rikku thought suddenly. _Nah, Yunie wouldn't go there. Why in her right mind would she do that? But... it's the only place I haven't yet tried. Besides, she's probably showing **him**_ _how much the place had changed._

Ah, the other reason why the Gullwing girls had decided to hold a celebration. _He_ was back. For good this time! Rikku grinned as she clearly remembered the day he came back. His familiar messy blonde hair, his light radiant smile and his overall cheerfulness. _I still can't believe Tidus came back!_ Rikku's head was filled with the thoughts of the boy from Zanarkand who traveled a thousand years into the future and stole Yuna's heart. As she skipped over to the Besaid Temple with new-found energy, she stifled a giggle as she imaged Yuna with Tidus. _Such a cute, cute, **cute** couple!_

"Whoa there, kiddo!" came a sudden voice which startled Rikku, "Don't want you runnin' into people by accident, ya?"

Rikku blinked and looked stupidly up into the familiar face. And then she realised she almost walked, or skipped rather, into Wakka who had baby Vidina in his arms.

"Oops!" she exclaimed, "Sorry Wakka! I wasn't really watching where I was going!"

"Don't worry about it, Rikku," he said, smiling, "just be careful, ya? Don't want you injured or anythin'. Especially with that gatherin' comin' up. I'd hate for you to miss all the fun."

Rikku laughed lightly and leaned over to tickle Vidina, who gave out a small gurgling sound. And then she recalled that she was supposed to be hunting down for that invitation list.

"Hey, is Yuna by any chance in there?" Rikku asked, pointing to the temple.

Wakka grinned, "Ya, I saw her walk in there with Tidus a while back. Should still be in there."

Thanking Wakka, Rikku walked the rest of the way to the temple, pausing only to pat the dog that came expectantly to her.

**-xxxxx-**

Yuna sighed, content, as Tidus looked over at her.

"I'm so glad the temple is finally clear of fiends. I was getting tired of helping to fight them off."

Tidus blinked. So much had happened in the past two years he'd been gone and Yuna had been trying her best to update him on things. He'd only been in Spira two days. Yuna told him about her adventures as a Sphere Hunter with the Gullwings and she told him of all the wonderful people she'd met along the way - Paine the dark warrior, Shinra the kid genius, Buddy the co-pilot of the Gullwings, LeBlanc and her cronies, Tobli, Nooj of the Youth League, Gippal the Machine Faction Leader, Baralai the Praetor of New Yevon, even Lenne and Shuyin... And then told stories of what she knew about the Crimson Squad and the creation of Vegnagun.

"If only Sir Auron were still here with us..." Yuna said sighing softly, "He was... a great Guardian. The _only_ Guardian not walking Spira with the rest of us."

"Yeah..." Tidus said, remembering the days before he found out Auron was an Unsent, "he was a great Guardian. To all of us."

Yuna could only stare deeply into space. All those lives lost in the past... Everyone... Just because of what they used to believe in. Yu Yevon, Sin, the Pilgrimage.

"You miss him, huh?" Tidus said, looking at her. It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

Yuna smiled back up at him, "Yeah. But I guess he never really did leave us." She tried to lighten the mood, "Anyway, you can't really miss him when you've got Paine around. She acts just like him!"

Tidus thought back to the strong-and-silent warrior. You could almost call her anti-social. But not quite. Just like Auron. Not quite friendly, but not overly serious.

"Come to think of it, the resemblance is striking! I wouldn't be surprised if they were related somehow."

Yuna laughed at this. "That would be something."

They stood staring at the newly-repaired Chamber in companionable silence for awhile. This very Chamber of the Fayth where Yuna received Valefor, her first Aeon. This very chamber that, just days ago, she had faced off with the giant, winged beast.

"Do you... miss him?" Yuna said at last, breaking the silence.

Tidus started. "Huh? ... Auron?"

"No Silly! Your dad!"

Tidus blinked.

"My old man?" It was a sensitive question question... but he should have expected it. "Uh... yeah. Kinda'. But like you said about Auron, he's never really left us. He's always been around, watching us-"

"_YUNIE!_" Rikku's scream echoed around the chamber, "_TIDUS!_"

And before anyone knew what was going on, Rikku had launched herself onto Tidus' back, almost making him collapse under her weight.

Yuna smiled and turned around to find Tidus laughing and trying to shake the green-eyed blonde off his back.

"What's up, Rikky?" Yuna asked. She had made that nickname up for her cousin when she wanted payback for being called _Yunie_. Tidus finally managed to wrestle Rikku to the ground before she answered.

"People. Party. **_Who_**?" Rikku said impatiently after picking herself off the ground. This earned her strange look from both Tidus and Yuna. Then it dawned on Yuna.

"Oh! The invitations for the victory celebration! You wanna' know who's coming, right?"

"That's what I said!"

"No, you said-"

"SO WHO'S GOING?" Rikku demanded, cutting Tidus off.

Yuna thought for a moment.

"Well... Let's see. You, me, Paine, Tidus, Wakka, Lulu, the Besaid Aurochs, Seymour, Bro-"

Rikku and Tidus both choked.

"SEYMOUR?"

Yuna laughed, "I was just kidding, silly!"

"Yunie...!"

Tidus muttered darkly and incoherently before Yuna decided to continue, "The rest of the Gullwings are definitely coming. Like Brother, Buddy and Shinra. Then there's your dad," Yuna looked over at Rikku, "Nooj, Baralai and Gippal of course-"

It was Rikku's turn to stare strangely at Yuna. _Uh-oh. Hud kuut... Why'd she invite him?_

"... Tobli's arranging some performance for us. Leblanc, Ormi and Logos have confirmed that they'll come. Isaaru, Clasko, Nhadala, Calli, Rin, the Kinderguardians, the Youth League guys. Y'know, Beclem, Elma and the rest. Maroda said he couldn't. Lian, Ayde and Kimahri are coming," Yuna said, "But the rest of the Ronso tribe aren't."

"Lian? Ayde?" Tidus asked, confused.

"Ronso kids. Pals of ours," Rikku supplied and she turned back to Yuna, "But if Kimahri comes, the Ronso Tribe won't have an Elder to look out for them!"

"Which is why he put Garik in charge while he's gone."

"Garik?" Rikku exclaimed, "I thought Kimahri didn't-"

"Well, Kimahri said he has had a lot of faith in Garik. And that he trusts Garik with his life."

"Uhh..." Tidus said intelligently, feeling left out of the conversation, "how's Kimahri anyway? I remember he wanted to kill me the first time we met."

Yuna giggled, "Don't blame him for it! He's now the leader of the Ronso you know?"

Tidus grinned, "I knew the big guy had it in him!"

"Oh, and you'd never guess. Dona and Barthello!" Yuna said, beaming.

"They're coming?" Rikku asked which Yuna confirmed with a nod.

Tidus whistled, "Those two. Haven't seen them in awhile. I remembered when Dona was a big pain in the-"

"She's not so bad you know?" Yuna cut in, "But things between her and Barthello..." she left it hanging.

"Ohhh, those two make me so mad!" Rikku said, stomping her foot childishly. "Why can't they just kiss and confess their undying love for each other?"

"They're too proud. And besides, it's not as easy as you make it sound, Rikku."

Rikku stared incredulously at her cousin, "What's so difficult about confessing that you love someone?"

Yuna just sighed, "When it's your turn, you'll find out. Being in love ain't no walk in the park!"

Rikku just shook her head. Yuna then summed up the rest of the invitation list saying some other random Spirans were coming, including Hypellos and Guado, "Expect about half a hundred people," she said.

"Woohoo! This party's gonna' be a blast, eh, Tidus?" Rikku squealed, jumping up and down on the spot and nudging him in the ribs.

"Can't wait!" Tidus agreed.

"A victory party to uphold the defeat of Vegnagun, the reunification of Lenne and Shuyin _and_ the return of Tidus!" Yuna announced proudly, clapping her hands together and twirling around.

Rikku calmed down enough to ask, "Where's Paine anyway?"

"I think she went off with Lulu to the beach. They uhh... 'volunteered' to put up the decorations and stuff for the party," Yuna said, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Yunie!" Rikku exclaimed, giggling, "You _didn't_!"

**-xxxxx-**

"I can't _believe_ she managed to talk us into being in charge of this," Paine muttered sourly as she gestured around the sandy shore, "_how_ and _what_ is there to decorate on a _beach_?"

Lulu smiled as the both of them looked out into sea. Seagulls were flying in the crystal clear, blue sky overhead and the breeze was so fresh and cooling. The rolling waves rushed toward and away from the shore with a lazy vigor and the palm trees swayed with the wind.

"I don't know how Yuna does it, but she always manages to get her way. One way or the other."

_And she trusts my skills in decorating?_ Paine wondered darkly.

Lulu's eyes twinkled with humour as she eyed Paine. _How did those three ever survive with one another? One's so perky and energetic, the other's so sullen and grim and Yuna's still so... youthful. _

"What're you staring at?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, let's get this started then."

**-xxxxx-**

The next day...

"Oy, you there! Help me with those, ya?" Wakka called as he pointed to a couple of boxes full of Light Spheres. He had one in his arms right now and was lugging them towards the beach. Light Spheres were a new creation that Shinra had come up with. It made pretty, colourful, softly-glowing lights when activated. Just like if you were to put a bunch of pyreflies in a sphere.

Botta sighed as he stacked one box on top of the other and lifted it, following Wakka down to the beach. It was getting dark now meaning the party would be starting in a couple of hours time and Lulu and Paine wanted to add the finishing touches to their 'decorated venue'.

_"We'll put a hand full of Light Spheres on each table so that when night falls, we'd all be surrounded by lights." Lulu instructed._

_Rikku was thrilled with the idea. "It'd be just like in that cave place at Mount Gagazet with all those glowy rock things that look like fungi!"_

_"The Fayth Scar, Rikku. Not 'cave place at Mount Gagazet'," Paine corrected._

_"Whatever," Rikku retorted, sticking her tongue out at Paine._

Wakka arrived at the beach with Botta close behind. They both dropped the boxes in unison.

"Whoa..." their jaws dropped in awe.

The beach looked festive. At one corner they could see Rikku hanging garlands and baubles on trees nearby. Paine was at another corner sorting out the food they were going to have for the party. But what really caught their attention was the huge platform-looking thing that was placed in front of the many tables, almost like a stage where a performance would be held. _Was there going to be a concert? _Wakka spotted Yuna and Tidus on the platform with a very odd-looking little creature who resembled a penguin, apparently doing a light-check on stage. _No doubt about it._

Lulu spotted them while draping the last table cloth on the final table. There were, in total, five huge tables placed randomly in front of the stage, each table could easily seat ten people.

"Ah, Wakka. There you are. What took you two so long?"

"Sorry Lu," Wakka apologized, not wanting to go into detail on why he was delayed, "So, where d'you wanna' put these?"

Lulu beckoned to a couple of people. Seconds later, Buddy and Shinra came up to them.

"Let's get to work then!" Buddy said, grabbing a few Light Spheres from the box and placing them on a table.

**-xxxxx-**

Night fell and everyone arrived eventually via different modes of transport. Brother, who was piloting the Celsius had arrived first, bringing in the first load of people. And apparently, the usual boat schedule from Kilika to Besaid was booked full just for the event.

Already, there was a huge amount of mingling and thus, the party got on its way. Everyone was standing, sitting, eating, deep in conversation. Rikku was chatting up a storm in one corner. Paine was quietly talking to Baralai and Nooj in an isolated corner. They were apparently not too fond of parties.

"This is awesome, Lady Yuna!" Calli praised as she pranced up to speak to the former High Summoner, "Love what you did to the place!"

Yuna grinned, "Don't thank me! Thank Lulu and Paine. They were in charge of this whole 'decorate Besaid Island' mission." _I knew they had it in them!_

"Hey, _High Summoner_!" someone called from behind her, "did you just say _Paine_ was one of the people who decorated this place?" the voice sounded incredulous.

Yuna laughed and turned around to see a familiar face, "Gippal!"

Meanwhile, Tidus was seated at one of the tables sipping on his drink and staring at everyone around him. _Everyone's changed,_ he thought bemusedly. His eyes fell on Yuna. The beautiful Yuna. _His_ beautiful Yuna.

"What're _you_ starin' at, pervert?"

Tidus grinned as a familiar figure plopped down beside him on an empty seat.

"Rikku! How you doin'?" he asked the perky Al Bhed.

Rikku's eyes sparkled, "I'm great. But I'd be better if you answered my question," she said with a mischievous giggle.

Tidus looked back at Yuna who was currently deep in conversation with someone. Rikku eyed him with a grin.

"She's really grown up, eh?" Tidus said finally, smiling back at Rikku.

"More than you'd ever know..." Rikku agreed, "But she'll always be our naïve little Yuna!"

"I wouldn't really say that anymore..." Tidus muttered darkly, his eyes going back to Yuna.

Rikku frowned, puzzled, and turned to look at her cousin... before bursting into laughter.

Apparently, the person Yuna was speaking to just happened to be Gippal, who was playfully flirting with her. And Yuna was laughing along. Rikku could barely stop laughing.

"What?" Tidus asked, annoyed at Rikku's reaction.

"Ha! Looks like Tiddy's getting a little _jealous_!" she said, emphasizing the 'jealous' part, "don't worry, that guy's never serious when he flirts." _At least I **hope** so... _she thought to herself sullenly.

Tidus' frown was still visible, "Who is that guy anyway?"

"Oh, a childhood friend you could say. Yadda yadda..." she said vaguely.

Tidus blinked. "You mean like, from Home?" he asked.

Rikku frowned, not wanting to be reminded of the place she had to leave behind. _It's gone now anyway._

"Rikku?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," she replied, snapping out of her reverie, "from Home. Before he joined the Crimson Squad."

"Crimson Squad? Oh! Them."

Tidus recalled Yuna telling him about them, "So he's one of the survivors? Which one? Nooj, Baralai or...?"

"Gippal."

"Ah."

And they lapsed into silence, both of them lost in thought which was very unlike them, after all they were so alike in being the most bubbly and cheerful people of all. Tidus' thoughts were on Yuna, naturally. And Rikku found it very annoying that her attention kept wandering to Gippal.

_Why Gippal? _she wondered bitterly. So much had happened between them both in the past and she was content to let it all remain just that; the past. A mere memory. But ever since she met up with him again at Djose after such a long period of separation, she couldn't help but wonder, _does he still-?_

Then, out of nowhere, a very well-timed Cid appeared.

"Well if it ain't the boy from Zanarkand who died!" Cid said loudly.

Rikku blinked and looked at her father, "_And_ came back to life, vydran," she corrected.

"Right. What are these things anyway?" Cid asked, pointing to the Light Spheres on the table they were at.

And the three of them engaged in comical banter.

Somewhere else, Paine, Nooj and Baralai were engaged in conversation and there was nothing comical about it.

"So, what're you guys going to do about this new alliance with new Yevon and the Youth League?" Paine asked.

"We're kinda' taking it slow for now," Baralai answered when Nooj decided to remain silent, "there's so much that we can and _could_ do now. In fact, Nooj here was thinking of merging both political groups and forming the 'Spirans United', which I'm pretty interested in as well."

Pained snorted, "_Spirans United_? Sounds like some Blitzball team. You've got the Besaid Aurochs, the Luca Goers, now the Spirans United. But..." her eyes were full of mirth, "I like the sound of it."

Baralai grinned. Nooj just rolled his eyes.

"Hey, guys! What the heck're you all doing all the way _here_?" Gippal said loudly, having suddenly appeared behind the rest of the ex-comrades, making them jump.

Baralai laughed, jumped up, and shoved Gippal good-naturedly. "Don't scare us like that. Jeez, Gippal!"

Gippal smirked. "I'll try to remember that. Well, just to let you guys know, Yuna's starting her performance soon. She's singing up there."

Paine nodded, looking over to where Yuna was, now onstage preparing to sing and glowing under the bright multi-coloured spotlights. _Tobli's done a good job, _Paine thought, amused, _and he rarely pulls it off._ "We better go get us a seat at the tables. We'll see it better from there."

**-xxxxx-**

Yuna took in a deep breath. Everyone was watching! Their eyes followed her everywhere. _Calm down, Yuna. You've done this before. _Smiling under the spotlight, Yuna lifted her microphone and tested it tentatively before speaking, "Everyone?" the silence that greeted her was absolute, "Everyone. Good evening! I hope you all have had a wonderful night so far at this festive celebration, held in honour of the defeat of Vegnagun and the peace in Spira!"

"And in honour of the Gullwings!" Rikku's voice rang out loudly, cutting through her speech.

Yuna laughed, "Yes, Rikku. _And_ the Gullwings. This victory party also signifies the end of the dispute between New Yevon and the Youth League," her eyes looked down upon Baralai and Nooj who nodded back at her in agreement, "as well as the wonderful return of Sir Tidus!" she announced, gesturing to the said blonde.

Everyone cheered loudly.

"This celebration would never have been made possible without the help of Paine and Lulu who had so meticulously put up the decorations, and of course, Tobli!"

Another loud cheer.

"And now my friends, this song I am about to sing embraces all the changes that Spira has endured that have made us what we are today. Please, enjoy this special song."

And the music started.

She lifted a hand, and started to sing.

_"In a moment, Everything can change. Feel the wind on your shoulder.  
For a minute, All the world can wait. Let go of your yesterday.  
Can you hear it calling? Can you feel it in your soul? Can you trust this longing, And take control."_

Yuna let her eyes slowly sweep over all of her friends down below while she sang. Everyone. They were looking back with equal intensity. Her eyes lingered on Wakka and Lulu who were cuddling each other with Vidina in Lulu's arms. _My former guardians,_ she thought. _My friends. _And she smiled as her eyes traveled on to Dona and Barthello. Then to the Kinderguardians, who stared up at Yuna in awe.

_"**Fly.** Open up the part of you that wants to hide away.  
You can shine. Forget about the reasons why you can't in life, And start to try...  
'Cause it's your time...  
Time to fly."_

She continued to sing as she spotted Kimahri in the crowd and waved at him with a small smile. He nodded somberly back at her. She caught sight of Leblanc, who smiled back at Yuna approvingly.

"All your worries, Leave them somewhere else.  
Find a dream you can follow.  
Reach for something, When there's nothing left.  
And the world's feeling hollow.  
Can you hear it calling? Can you feel it in your soul? Can you trust this longing, And take control."

Paine, Baralai, Gippal, Nooj, Rikku, Tidus, Cid, Brother, Buddy, Shinra. All ten of them were seated at the table closest to the platform Yuna was on. Just the sight of them made her pour her heart out in the song._  
_  
_"**Fly.** Open up the part of you that wants to hide away.  
You can shine. Forget about the reasons why you can't in life, And start to try...  
'Cause it's your time...  
Time to fly."_

The Besaid Aurochs were looking at Yuna with new-found hope. The song itself that she was singing gave them the aspiration to win again at the Blitzball Tournament. They would shine. They would forget about the reasons why they couldn't succeed. They will _try_. They **_will_** fly.

"And when you're down and feel alone, you Just wanna run away.  
Trust yourself and don't give up, You know you better than anyone else."

Yuna vaguely recalled the time she was so afraid; so _alone_ when she was on her High Summoner pilgrimage. She wanted to run away but she couldn't. And she never gave up fighting, putting her trust in Tidus and her guardians and _herself_. She was strong. And she made it through.

"In a moment, Everything can change. Feel the wind on your shoulder.  
For a minute, All the world can wait. Let go of yesterday."

TidusHer eyes landed on him. Yuna was engulfed by emotion as she sang and she was so sure Tidus was too. Yes, in just two years, everything _has_ changed. _The life we once knew... me, you... us. But... just for this moment, all the world can wait. We'll let go of our yesterday; our past. We'll start a new story. OUR story. _

"**Fly.** Open up the part of you that wants to hide away.  
You can shine. Forget about the reasons why you can't in life, And start to try...  
'Cause it's your time...  
Time to fly..."

Rikku had suddenly lost concentration on Yuna's beautiful voice. Blood was pounding in her ears and she lost orientation. She looked around quickly, sensing that something wasn't right... Something _wasn't right_!

"Forget about the reasons why you can't in life, And start to try...  
'Cause it's your time...  
Time to fly."

Yuna blinked back the stinging sensation in her eyes as her voice dropped to a whisper.

_"In a moment... Everything can change..."_

And her tears fell freely onto the ground. Not tears of sorrow, but tears of happiness. She smiled at everyone, her vision blurry. And the whole crowd erupted in cheers.

But an abrupt shriek filled the air.

"**_YUNIE!_**"

Tidus heard the desperation and utter fear in Rikku's voice.

And everything after that was a blur to Yuna. She felt herself being knocked to the ground by Tidus, who flung himself onstage at Yuna. And then it all became clear when a loud gunshot was heard and something whizzed right past Yuna to where she had been standing just a second ago. And the bullet hit Tidus in the shoulder, bringing him down.

She screamed.

Chaos erupted throughout the beach. Everything stopped, time seemed to stand still. All that registered in Yuna's head right now was a single fact. _Someone's trying to kill me. Someone's trying to kill me._

_Someone's trying to kill me... TIDUS!_

Rikku, almost as shell-shocked, wanted to run over to Yuna and Tidus to see if they were okay. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spied a suspicious figure darting away up on a small cliff of bushes nearby. Without warning, she ran. Ran after the person who tried to hurt her cousin.

"_Rikku!_"

She could hear her name being screamed off in the distance. But Rikku didn't listen. She didn't even turn back to say anything. She just ran.

"Tyshed!" Gippal swore before taking off after Rikku. _Why do you always do this to me, Cid's Girl? Don't you DARE get yourself hurt._

Paine growled, "Idiots! When will those two ever learn...!" and she turned to Yuna who was huddled on the floor clutching Tidus' hand and sobbing. Tidus didn't seem to be badly hurt and he was still conscious. That was a good sign.

"Nooj, Baralai. Take care of these two. I'm going after them."

They both nodded gravely as Paine started off.

"Wait!"

Paine turned.

"Be careful, Paine."

Her heart sped up but she could only reply Baralai with a small nod before following after Rikku and Gippal.

**-xxxxx-**

_-(A/N)-: There you go, chapter one for you! _

_In case you're wondering what the full summary for this fanfic is, it goes like this: "At a victory party, the joy is shattered when an assassin makes it obvious he's trying to kill the former High Summoner, Yuna. Rikku has a new-found talent for sensing danger and feels guilty that she has no way of helping prevent that danger. It turns out a former member of the Crimson Squad is still alive. And he wants to murder Yuna... But he loves Paine. Baralai won't allow it and all hell breaks loose." _


	2. Losing the Calm

**The Reason  
**by freakochicko

**CHAPTER TWO: **_Losing the Calm_

_Whoa. He's a fast runner,_ Rikku thought as she ploughed through Besaid. The man in front of her had tried to kill her best friend. Her _cousin_! And she wasn't going to let this horrible villain get away with it. No way.

"Come back here, you coward!" she screamed, hoping to cause the man to falter. No such luck, in fact her warning only made him run even faster. Rikku could clearly see his hair, a strikingly visible red, which disturbed the Al Bhed slightly. He was lean, had unusually long legs, _which is why he runs so fast_, she thought angrily, and he was glowing...?

_What the...?_ Why was he glowing? And it finally dawned on the girl why he was emitting such a light. He was readying some sort of spell.

"Oh, shi-"

The man made a sharp turn, causing Rikku's heart to do a huge flip and nearly stop. His face held a look of pure concentration as he uttered a single word.

"_Blizzaga._"

Rikku froze. Literally. Blue light suddenly engulfed her entire body and her breath became uncomfortably short. She braced for the impact that she was sure the ice shards would make. And they came, fast and excruciating. She let loose a loud scream before collapsing. Everything went black and she couldn't see anything. She couldn't _feel_ anything. _Am I dead?_ she wondered weakly.

And then she heard it. Footsteps in the distance. Someone was running. _Loud_, she thought incoherently due to the fact that her hearing senses were heightened but she still couldn't see, still couldn't feel anything.

She could make out someone shouting and then she sensed the presence of someone bending over her. She thought the voice sounded familiar but she couldn't be sure. She didn't have the strength nor the ability to talk; to tell whoever it was that she was okay. She was _alive_...

But maybe she was wrong. Maybe she _wasn't_ okay... She felt her consciousness slip away as the seconds ticked by, felt her body go limp.

"No, no, no! Wake up, Rikku! Say something! Anything! Damnit, Cid's Girl, _don't do this to me!_"

The voice sounded distant; faraway. Rikku's mind was in a whir as she tried to hold on, tried to stay awake. _Cid's Girl. He called me... Cid's Girl. He came for me. He came for... me._

_Gippal._

And she slipped into unconsciousness.

**-xxxxx-**

Gippal thought he'd be running forever but when he saw Rikku motionless on the ground, his heart crumbled. "Oh, great Aeons above. Rikku!" He rushed up to her and knelt by her side. _Get up get up get up! Tell me you're okay... _

But she didn't. She didn't get up. She wasn't okay.

"No, no, _no!_ **_WAKE UP, RIKKU._** Say something! Anything! DAMNIT, CID'S GIRL, **_don't do this to me!_**" he shouted in desperation.

There was no response.

Then, he heard it.

He swore he heard his name escape from Rikku's lips and a wave of mixed emotions overcame Gippal at that very moment. He felt angry. Angry that Rikku had gone and got herself hurt, angry because Rikku had run straight into danger and never once stopped to think of the consequences, angry that some idiot had _tried_ to even hurt her. He felt upset. _Why didn't she at least tell me? Tell **someone**? Instead of just run off like that?_ He felt afraid. Afraid for the frail and weak little girl in front of him. But most of all, he felt relieved.

_She's alive_, he told himself, _unconscious, but not dead. That was a good sign. Right?_

He reached forward to clutch her limp hand. And nearly dropped it. _Yevon! She's freezing! _There was a pulse however, and that kept his hopes up.

_Who the hell did this to her? I swear I'm gonna' rip his... _Gippal thought of going off to hunt down whoever was responsible for this unspeakable crime but decided against it. Rikku needed help.

The sound of footfalls echoed and Paine soon came into view, "Gippal, what-?" She took one look at Rikku's state and immediately strode up to the two Al Bhed, demanding an explanation.

"She's alive," he told her flatly. And that was all he said before lifting Rikku carefully off the ground and walking back to the beach.

**-xxxxx-**

Back at the beach, everyone was huddled around the lone figure on the platform where, just minutes ago, Yuna had been singing. Yuna herself was rushed away by a protective Kimahri, who was by her side, supporting her. Meanwhile, Wakka and Baralai were tending to Tidus as they tried their best to stop the blood gushing out from his shoulder. It wasn't serious, just a graze. But the bullet hole looked as though it were enough to cause unbearable pain.

"Tidus! Hang in there, brudda!" Wakka said, heaving the star Blitzball player into a sitting position.

Tidus' head swam and he grunted in pain. "Don't worry, I'll live. Is Yuna okay?" he asked.

"She's in shock. But we're more worried about you. You took the bullet, not her. Now, don't move. This may sting a little." Baralai took out a Potion bottle and emptied its contents onto Tidus' bad shoulder.

And he was right. Tidus hissed inaudibly as the Potion washed over his wound. It hurt like a bitch. But seconds later, it felt much better. Much, much better.

"Alright. We gotta' get you back to the village. You need a bed and some rest, ya." Wakka said matter-of-factly to Tidus, helping him up on his feet and slinging his arm around his shoulder, supporting him in a standing position.

But the injured man struggled weakly, "No. Wait. I wanna' see Yuna."

"I'm here," Yuna said, immediately rushing up to Tidus. Tidus noticed her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes were red. She threw her arms around him and gave him a tight embrace, "Oh Tidus..." she mumbled, "I thought I was going to lose you. Again." Tidus could feel her body shaking, she started to cry a second time.

"Don't..." Tidus said softly, "I'm all right, Yuna. Serious!"

But that only made Yuna cry even harder.

At that moment, Leblanc went up to them. "Alright, loves. Break it up! We're all alive, healthy and young. No need to get all emotional about it! So pull your act together... because here comes trouble."

Everyone turned to see two approaching figures coming out from the forest. A solemn Gippal, with Rikku in his arms, and Paine following close behind looking awfully worried.

Horror dawned on Yuna. She had almost forgotten that those three had run after her assailant after worrying so much about Tidus. Rikku... she looked like... Something must have happened. Something must have gone horribly wrong. Yuna stumbled away from Tidus and approached Gippal and Paine with a sickening feeling in her stomach. She was at a loss for words. Tidus, supported by Wakka, followed right behind.

"Rikku..."

Yuna looked at her cousin's limp body as Gippal put her gently down on the sandy ground. She looked so pale and weak. Helpless. Yuna's gaze travelled up to Gippal. "What-?"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" came a rough voice, cutting across Yuna's question. Cid had pushed his way through to the front of the crowd, shoving Rin aside, and was now standing a few feet away from his daughter. Disbelief was written all over his face. "Rikku. Oh Fayth! What happened?"

_What happened? How the heck would I know? I tried to get to her but she was too fast. She shouldn't have run. She should have just stayed where I could keep my eye on her. Damnit..._

"Gippal! _FRYD RYBBAHAT?_" _(WHAT HAPPENED?)_

Snapping out of his reverie, Gippal looked at the Al Bhed leader, "I don't know. She... was like this when I found her. I don't know what happened. But she's going to need something 'cause she's _freezing_. We have to get her to the village. _Now_."

Cid nodded, hefting his daughter over his shoulder as carefully as possible. "Alright, people! Clear a path! Let my girl through!" he shouted, "I _said_ MOVE IT!" he snapped at the stupid penguin-creature standing in his way.

The crowd stirred; as though the event that was just displayed stopped them all in their tracks for awhile.

"Alright. This party is _over_. Go home, all of you, as quick as you can. It's not safe here anymore." Yuna and Paine were trying their best to tell everyone there that the appearance of a murderer was a sign to pack up and leave.

**-xxxxx-**

The blackness was so dark it was blinding.

_Oh Fayth, I must be dead! _

_But it's so dark! _

_... That means I'm not in Heaven am I?_

_Heaven's all bright and welcoming._

_Then am I in Hell...?_

_Hah! Then why am I so cold?_

_Maybe I've gone to the Farplane..._

_NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY!_

_NOT THE **FARPLANE**!_

**-xxxxx-**

"Hey! I think she's waking up!" Yuna whispered. It's been over three hours since the party. Over three hours since Rikku had been knocked unconscious. Yuna made a sound in her throat as she frowned, "No wait, she's not. She just twitched." and she heaved a sigh as she eyed her fallen friend who had a noticeable pained expression plastered onto her face. _Nightmare maybe...?_

Yuna and Paine had been keeping watch over their comrade in one of the village tents. Rikku was on a hastily-made bed, still very much dead to the world. Everyone else had probably gone to sleep. Lulu and Wakka was sure to be with Vidina, asleep in their tent. Tidus was resting because Yuna had commanded him to, although he wanted to stay with them to look after Rikku, after all she was like a sister to him. Cid, Brother, Buddy and Shinra were not too far off in another tent. Paine was becoming frequently annoyed with Cid popping in every half hour or so to check on his daughter. Although everyone else from the party had gone home, Gippal had opted to stay for a few days. This caused Baralai and Nooj to stay as well, at least till morning; after all, what's the point of going back to Bevelle and Mushroom Rock Road so late at night?

"I wonder," Paine said finally.

"Hmm?" Yuna said, turning to her companion.

"What really happened to Rikku? Who or _what_ attacked her?"

Yuna frowned for a second time and looked over to where Rikku was lying, "Must've been somebody really powerful. Rikku's a strong girl. I'm astounded that someone could actually manage to hurt her."

"She was alone." Piane reminded her, "She didn't have me or you around to help her out."

"Still..." Yuna's voice faded.

"Yeah. Anyway, the attacker is still out there somewhere. We best be on our guard. It was clear enough that whoever it was was trying to get to you."

"Someone who had the guts to do it in front of everyone at a party," Yuna said, recalling the gunshot she heard, "Must've been a good sharpshooter as well, seeing how accurate he was."

Paine nodded.

Yuna shook her head, "That reminds me. Could you look after Rikku on your own? I'm gonna' go take a look at Tidus."

Paine stared at Yuna. "But you did that not too long ago. It's not like he's going to die or disappear you know."

Yuna stuck her tongue out at Paine, "He's Tidus. I'd visit him even if he didn't have a hole in his shoulder."

"Whatever you say."

And Yuna walked out of the tent... only to _almost _walk straight into Gippal. Apparently the Machine Faction Leader had been pacing up and down the entrance of the tent with an evident scowl plastered onto his face. He looked up when he saw Yuna emerge.

Yuna gave him a curious look, cocking her head to one side wondering what in Spira was troubling the man so much that had to wander around in the dark.

"How is she?" were the first words out of his mouth.

"Oh," Yuna said softly, "Rikku? She's alright. She's been shifting around in the bed actually, which means she's not exactly unconscious anymore. She's just resting. Don't worry about her, she's a strong girl."

Gippal nodded, his frown lifting slightly, "Of course."

And then there was a moment of silence, punctured only by the sound of crickets and other insects flying by.

"Well..." Gippal said awkwardly, thinking of something to say.

"You can go see her if you want," Yuna offered helpfully, "I'm guessing you're really worried about her."

Gippal scratched the back of his head, a sign that gave away his nervousness and embarrassment, "Ah... yeah, that's what I was going to intent to do." _Just didn't know when the right time was, _he thought to himself, _I guess it's now or never. _

"Paine's in there keeping watch. I was just going to go see how Tidus is doing."

Gippal nodded with a slight smile, "That Tidus guy's a real saviour. He saved your life. Now I know why you two were meant for each other."

Yuna smiled, remembering everything Tidus himself did in the past to try to save her life. _He became my Guardian._

**-xxxxx-**

"No... Farplane... nooo..."

Paine eyed the blonde girl tossing and turning in her bed with a raised eyebrow. _Farplane? _That's right. Rikku was always freaked out by that place. Paine smiled subtly as she recalled the times they had when all three of them flew around Spira as Sphere Hunters. She would never admit it out loud to anyone, but she missed those days. _We've gone a long way, _the crimson-eyed warrior thought. _And what a long way too. _She vaguely thought of the days where she wouldn't openly talk to Rikku or Yuna unless the reply was a straight answer. It wasn't because she hated socialising, no, that wasn't it at all. _It was _trust_. Trusting someone after that 'incident' wasn't easy._ Now however, it was a different story. The impossible had happened: Paine had opened up. Paine had started to trust Yuna, Rikku, the Gullwings. And she was glad she did.

Just then, someone entered the tent quietly. As an unconscious reflex, Paine shot up, made a grab for the hilt of her sword and got ready to swing it at the intruder.

"Oh. It's just you," Paine said shortly, loosening her grip on the sword and sitting back down on her chair wearily.

Gippal, already used to her act-on-impulse reactions because of all the time spent in her company with the Crimson Squad merely shrugged, "If you wanna' kill me so bad, just say so."

Paine rolled her eyes. Typical Gippal.

"So," Gippal said, striding over the foot of Rikku's bed, "so..."

"So _what_?" Paine said, as loud as she dared to go without disturbing the peace of the sleeping girl.

"Has she... Is she, well, do you think she'll get up any time soon?"

Paine was about to say she had no idea when all of a sudden, Rikku sat up in bed quickly, letting lose an ear-piercing scream.

"**I HATE THE FARPLANE!**"

Shocked silence followed her sudden outburst.

The girl slowly took a look at her surroundings, eyes landing on Paine and Gippal.

"Uh... heheh..." she giggled nervously, "umm... this... this isn't-"

"The Farplane. We know." Paine said bluntly.

Rikku heaved a relieved sigh and then looked up, embarrassed, "I think I-"

"Woke everybody up?" came a voice from the entrance of the tent, "you got that right."

Yuna, Tidus, Wakka and Lulu were at the doorway, all looking intently at the flustered Al Bhed.

"Oops?"

**-xxxxx-**

_-(A/N)-: Yay! Rikku's conscious again! Ooooh... The first signs of Gippal showing SOME affection for Rikku. _

_Sorry I had to make this chapter short. The next one'll be longer. I hope. Review, please. I love constructive reviews that tell me things like how I should improve things and what your favourite parts were, etc. Reviews are what keep me going. (: _

_**RESPONSE TO REVIEWERS:**_

**marajade963 **Glad you liked the start. It gets better, just you wait. :)

**jen0va** Tanith Lee is an awesome writer. I haven't read The Black Unicorn but I've read the Claidi Journals and they're awesome. Glad you liked the Light-Sphere concept. Haha!

**Wind Seal** Aww... You liked my first chapter? Thanks! Well, what did you think of the second one?

**darkerstardom** Thanks for the review! I'll do my best to make my reviewers happy. (:

**xXpinknblackemotionsXx **Thanks for reviewing! Here's your update. I love Cid! He's cool and adds comic relief. Hee.


	3. Abstract Reverie

**The Reason  
**by freakochicko

**CHAPTER THREE: **_Abstract Reverie_

The clean, cool air of early morning filled her lungs as she took in a deep breath, savouring the peace and quiet of solitude. Driving her fingers through her hair once, she stretched and then sat down, legs dangling over the edge of the small cliff overlooking the crystal waters below. She was ready to admit that Besaid Island was indeed the most beautiful and scenic place when dawn was just breaking.

Eyeing the two seagulls passing overhead, she replayed the scene that occurred those few hours ago. A scene that kept playing over and over in her mind.

--

_"I HATE THE FARPLANE!"_

_Rikku had successfully awoken almost everyone at the village. Even a bleary-eyed Baralai and a sceptical Nooj came over, almost as though concerned, to check up on the golden-haired Al Bhed. In no time at all, the Al Bhed was bombarded with questions._

_"Are you alright, Rikku?" Tidus.  
"We were awfully worried!" Yuna.  
"What seriously happened?" Lulu.  
"Tell us, ya!" Wakka.  
"Were you really attacked?" Baralai.  
"WHO DID IT?" Gippal._

_"I'm fine! And I'm sorry I woke everyone up! I didn't mean it! Honest! And, no I don't know what happened. Well, I do. Well... I don't know! I remembered chasing after this guy who ran faster than an insane Chocobo. I chased him all the way to that waterfall place with the bridge. And then next thing I knew, I was unconscious!"_

_"What did he do?" the one called Tidus had demanded._

_Rikku looked around the room, "Uhh... This is gonna' sound soooo embarrassing. Umm... I got knocked unconscious by a Blizzaga spell."_

_Paine raised an eyebrow. 'Must've been one hell of a high level spell caster to even manage to hinder Rikku. This assassin must be powerful...'_

_"What did he, or she, look like?" Baralai asked._

_"He. And he had super-long legs! And **red hair**. Like really, really, REALLY red hair."_

_And then Cid appeared and demanded that everyone leave her alone or he'll kill them all. Or something like that._

_"Vydran!" Rikku whined, "I'm fine! Let them stay! I need the company!"_

_"No way. I don't want you to pass out again! Get some rest!"_

_Rikku pouted, "At least let ONE PERSON stay with me."_

_Paine herself had already started walking out of the tent. 'I need some time alone. To think.'_

_--_

The silent warrior sighed, snapping out of her reverie for a second. Maybe dwelling on what happened last night wasn't such a good thing to do. She picked up a stray rock on the ground and dropped it into the clear water below, causing a pool of ripples to appear. So many things happened in the span of just a few hours.

_--_

_She walked away from the commotion around her. As long as Rikku was okay, she didn't need to stick around with the others to know anything else. What Rikku had said however, that was something new. Red hair. Long legs. Hmm... Paine continued her steady walk out of the village entrance, doubting very much that the killer would still be anywhere on the island._

_Yuna was targeted by this strange man. And Rikku was living proof that he had no problem in disposing off any others that stood in his way. Damn him! _

_Paine slowed down as she neared the statue on the top of the hill overlooking the village. Things were looking so good on this island. That was before someone decided that it would be fun to assassinate the High Summoner. Now why would anyone in their right mind decide to do that? Paine crossed her arms silently, eyes looking over the village below where she could see a fire crackling merrily at the heart of the circle of tents. She eyed the people gathered around the fire, no doubt all discussing Rikku._

_He must have a motive. But what? Why? WHO? Paine's frown deepened. And then, she saw it. Something glowing in the sand just partly hidden behind the monument. "A sphere?" She bent down to pick it up. What's a sphere doing here of all places? We would have noticed it before. Unless..._

_Crack._

_Paine, sword at the ready, whirled around at the sound of someone approaching from the back, only to find a familiar figure walking up to her._

_"I told you never to sneak up on me," Paine said, annoyed, as she quietly slipped the sphere into her pocket, "I could've killed you."_

_"Sorry," Baralai apologised, recalling an incident that happened years ago while in the Crimson Squad, "I forgot."_

_"Well, yeah. Don't forget."_

_The praetor nodded. Paine turned back to look down at the village again. The silence between them grew thicker as the seconds ticked by._

_"Well..." Baralai said hesitantly, "I've-"_

_"Why have you come up here, Baralai?" Paine asked, not turning to look at him._

_"Actually, I saw you come up here and thought maybe you might want some company. But I also wanted to get away to think. About what Rikku said back there. About her attacker."_

_Paine was a little surprised, after all that was the exact same reason why she was there. But she didn't show her surprise, "What about her attacker?" she asked._

_"Paine. Don't you think it's a little well, strange?"_

_"Strange." Paine echoed._

_Baralai nodded, "Indeed. Someone's out there with a grudge against Yuna. And Rikku's description of the man..."_

_Paine turned to look him in the eye. _

_"You think it's **him** then," she said flatly, getting straight to the point._

_If he was surprised, he sure hid it well. "You catch on pretty quick."_

_Paine shrugged, "You know it can't be him."_

_"Well, I thought maybe..."_

_"He's dead, Baralai. Dead," Paine said softly, "We saw it happen. You _know _that. And dead people don't come back to life."_

_"I know... but..."_

_Silence._

_"... unsent?"_

_"Maybe..."_

--

_Baralai... _Paine sighed again, drawing something out of her pocket. The sphere. She contemplated watching it, but after much thought decided against it, not sure if she was ready to watch it. _Only the Fayth knows what's been recorded on this. It can wait. _Standing, she placed the sphere back in her pocket and tried to forget about it, driving the thought of it to the back of her mind. And then she set off for the village again.

The sun had finally fully risen, the orange orb casting a warm glow over the island.

"Paine! Where have you been?" an anxious Yuna came running up to the warrior.

"Up this early, Yuna?"

"Couldn't sleep," Yuna smiled wryly, "what with assassins trying to plot my death and my friends getting hurt, it's kinda' hard to. Sometimes, I can't help but think it's all my fault."

"What? That your friends get injured because of you?"

Yuna gave a small nod. Paine resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _What's with Yuna always trying to find a way to blame herself for things that were clearly not her fault?_ Instead, she just shrugged and turned, to see Nooj and Baralai walking towards them.

"We'll be setting sail soon," Nooj informed them abruptly.

Yuna nodded.

"Gippal?" Paine inquired.

"He's staying," Nooj said, waving a hand nonchalantly, "I've gotta' get back to the Youth League Headquarters," he shared a knowing look with Yuna, "Don't worry, we'll take care of everything. I'll be dispatching mercenaries from the League to try and get some info on your assassin, Yuna."

"And I'll make sure people don't get talking. The last thing we need is this affair to get on the news," Baralai said solemnly.

"I can just see the headlines," Paine said sardonically, "_High Summoner and her Cousin Targeted by Manic Killer_. That'll be it."

Yuna laughed. It was one that tried to lighten the mood, but everyone knew there wasn't any humour in the laugh.

"Well, listen guys, we gotta' leave soon," Baralai said, looking at Nooj, "we should go get ready."

And with that, he and Nooj walked off to get their gear ready.

"Anyone else awake yet?" Paine asked, wondering about Rikku and if she would still be her ever-perky self after last night.

"Buddy and Shinra have been, ah, _left behind_. Cid and Brother took off early this morning. Said they wanted to round up some Al Bhed and get even with the 'guy who tried to kill Rikku' or something," Yuna informed her, "We tried to stop them. We really did!"

Paine raised an eyebrow.

"We didn't want them to cause any more complications,"Yuna explained.

"You should've seen the fight this morning. It was... loud," Wakka said, walking up to them from behind, "woke me and Lu and Vidina up, ya," and he initiated a pose like Brother and whined in what he thought was a Brother-like voice, "**_we have to keel heem! Father, we leave NOW!_**"

"Hmph, Cid and Brother both have one thing in common. Their hot-temperedness. And here I thought they'd never be able to work with each other for a common purpose," Paine mused.

"Well, when their only other family member is in trouble, you can count on them to make things right," Yuna explained.

Wakka nodded wistfully, "Wish I had a family like theirs. Don't even need to be a loving one. But ya, a family would do..."

Yuna smiled sympathetically at Wakka, knowing just what it felt like to not have parents anymore.

"Where's Rikku?" Paine asked, changing the subject. Deep down, she knew she had a sob story about her family, but the Fayth knew she never wanted to talk about it if she could help it.

"Eh. She, Tidus and Gippal are still asleep. I think anyway. C'mon, Lu made us some breakfast! Let's go eat!"

--

Noon.

Both Baralai and Nooj had already left Besaid with good intentions. Everyone else was up and about, even Tidus, who felt perfectly healthy when he woke up. Well everyone, except Rikku and Gippal.

"Hey, Yuna! Should we check if they're still breathing?" Tidus asked half seriously, talking about the two sleeping Al Bhed.

"I don't know," the summoner asked with an absolutely straight face, "should we?"

And they both couldn't help it, bursting out with laughter. They made their way to Rikku's tent and poked their heads through the doorway.

Rikku was sleeping soundly and clearly sucking her thumb in a cute, babyish way. What surprised them though, was that Gippal was fast asleep next to her, on the floor sitting against the bed.

"Aww... Look at that...!" Yuna said softly, nodding at the two. _She_ looked so vulnerable and _he_ looked so protective! They looked so adorable together that she wondered if they were ever more than _just friends_ in the past.

Tidus grinned, "the perfect couple," he mouthed to Yuna.

Yuna pinched him playfully, "I thought _we_ were the perfect couple?"

Tidus just shook his head with a smile and returned his gaze to Rikku. "Hey Yuna? I think she's having another dream."

Yuna glanced at Rikku and sure enough, the girl looked pretty restless in her sleep.

"Farplane?" Tidus whispered, earning a shrug from Yuna.

--

_**Rikku found herself running. Running from what, she didn't know. All around her, loud explosions and gunfire everywhere. Fiends were pouring out of doorways and the machina had gone haywire. **_

_Where am I? _

**_She ran, everything was going blurry and she realised that she was crying. Tears fell down her cheeks and she wiped them away. She saw them, the fiends, the Guado, her friends being killed mercilessly, friends that she never saw again, and then she realised where she was. She screamed and saw herself run through her beloved Home, _"_HU! Home ec ihtan yddylg. Fa'na ymm kuhhy' tea! FA'NA YMM KUHHY' TEA!" Running, running, not looking back. All around her, fire, explosions._**

_**And then she stopped dead in front of him. HIM.**_

_No. You can't be here!_

_**He walked up to her, unfazed by the death and destruction all around them.**_

_You can't!_

_**Rikku desperately tried to avoid his gaze as he approached her.**_

_**"Show me your face."**_

_**"Huh?" she found herself saying.**_

_**"Look at me."**_

_**And Rikku looked up, eyes closed.**_

_**"Open your eyes."**_

_No._

_**She didn't want to. Didn't want to look into the face of a dead man. But she did. She opened one tear-stained eye. One eye was all it took.**_

_**"As I thought." His expression changed.**_

_Sir Auron..._

_**"You Al Bhed don't belong here." His voice was cold.**_

_**And out of nowhere, Seymour Guado appeared, blood on his hands, "That's right, you Al Bhed DON'T BELONG HERE."**_

_**There was a flash of light and Rikku found herself face-first on sandy ground.**_

_**"Hey, you gonna' stay there forever?"**_

_**Rikku jumped up wildly, still aware that there were tears in her eyes, and came face to face with a young Gippal.**_

_**"Uh..."**_

_**"L'suh! Fa kuddy' ku naclia Summoner Yuna!" (C'mon! We gotta' go rescue Summoner Yuna!)**_

_Huh?_

_**"Fryd? Oui tuh'd fyhd du ramb ran?" (What? You don't want to help her?) he sounded angry, "E ghuf. Oui tuh'd lyna ev cra teac, tu oui? OUI TUH'D!" (I know. You don't care if she dies, do you? YOU DON'T!) And he took off running into the boundless desert, disappearing right before her very eyes.**_

_WAIT!_

_**Another flash of light. There was a figure on the ground. Yuna, in a white wedding dress, dead.**_

_**"YUNIE!"**_

_**Tidus walked out of the shadows, looking very much like Shuyin. Maybe he WAS Shuyin. Rikku couldn't tell. And then she heard it. Someone singing. A hymn. One she hadn't heard in a long time. The Hymn of the Fayth. **_

_**"You killed her," Tidus/Shuyin accused.**_

_**"I didn't!"**_

_**He grabbed her by the wrists and she saw pyreflies swirling out of his body.**_

_**"Let go of me!" she screamed.**_

_**"Stop struggling!" he said angrily, "Stop it, Rikku!"**_

_**Rikku tried to break free and managed to hit Tidus/Shuyin in the eye.**_

"OW! Damnit Rikku! WAKE UP!"

Rikku snapped wide awake and the first thing she noticed was Gippal, hands over his good eye.

"You trying to take my other eye out?" Gippal exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I-I...!" Rikku stuttered, "I thought you were Shuyin!" she finally blurted.

"Wha-?"

"It was a nightmare!" Rikku explained.

"I figured..." Gippal muttered. "What were you doing dreaming about that Shuyin guy anyway?"

Rikku rolled her eyes, "Listen, I'm really sorry about your eye. I'll make it up to you!"

"Nah, that's okay. As long as you're alright from yesterday..." Gippal said, waving her apology aside.

Rikku looked away, deep in thought about her nightmare. And then she realised something. Why was Gippal in her tent?

"What are you doing here anyway?"

Gippal tried to hide his embarrassment, "Hey, you need to be looked after y'know. After last night and everything, I was really worried about you."

Rikku glanced at Gippal and looked away again. Flashes of things that happened in the past between them came to her mind and she didn't want them to come back. She didn't want old memories to return; they were too upsetting to think about. And then she remembered her dream. He was in it. It was a terrible dream.

"What's wrong?" Gippal asked with a frown when he noticed she wasn't her usual cheerful self.

"I had the worst nightmare. It was horrible." She shuddered as mixed scenes of dead people and pyreflies made their way into her thoughts.

Gippal's frown deepened at Rikku's hushed voice. She sounded scared. _What **did** she dream about?_ "You never ever had nightmares, Cid's Girl... What gives?"

Rikku shook her head slowly and said nothing.

"That bad huh?"

Rikku stayed silent for awhile. And then she spoke up in a whisper.

"I dreamt of Home, Gippal. _Home_. People were dying. Fiends were everywhere, Guado were everywhere, we Al Bhed were running. And I was crying... Terrible things were happening... I-I thought I would have gotten over it. It's already happened and I can't turn back time. So why think about, y'know? But..." Rikku sighed, "I can't help it. They're gone. Home's gone..."

Gippal was taken aback. Rikku never spoke openly about Home to anyone after that incident. He knew it was a sensitive subject for her. Hell, it was a sensitive thing to talk about for any other Al Bhed. But, that's what they both were - Al Bhed. And they both lost something precious at the same time that very day: Home. And all the past memories that perished with it.

"Rikku..." Gippal said softly, taking her hand in his, "just don't think about it. I know you can't help it, but try. I'll be here to help. After all, I'm Al Bhed too, if you haven't noticed," he smiled at her, "I've lost just about as much as what you did when Home was destroyed."

Rikku managed a small smile. "Thanks. I guess..."

**-xxxxx-**

_-(A/N)-: Umm... I actually planned this chapter to be MUCH different than what it turned out to be; to have a more romantic scene between Paine and Baralai as well as Rikku and Gippal. But I guess it can wait... LOL. Don't wanna' rush things, ya?_

_And sorry for the late update. My computer kinda' died on me. First a virus killed it, then my screen sorta' exploded? Yeah... Talk about bad luck, ya? Oh man, I should really stop speaking like Wakka._


End file.
